Device for locking knives in their scabbards



Oct- 31, 1 H. o. DAVIDSON, JR

DEVICE FOR LOOKING KNIVES IN THEIR SCABBARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1946 Tan. 1 Tc:| E

IN VEN TOR.

#AROAD 0. 0,4 [#05045 JR.

MQLHA'L M1 Oct. 31, 1950 H. O. DAVIDSON, JR DEVICE FOR- LOCKING KNIVES IN THEIR SCABBARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept; 27, 1946 I E I WWW a i I 1 MW/ N 6% I we (PM i U a I Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED. STAT Es PATENT) DEVICE For; LOCKING KNIVES IN THEIR l j SCABBARDS Harold 0. Davidson, Jr-.,:Atlanta, Ga.

Application September 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,623

Generically this invention relates to .a sheathed knife, but it is more especially directed to means for preventing accidental separation of the knife from the scabbard.

One'of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of means for securing knives such as hunting, camping or fishing knives against displacement from their scabbards while being carried suspended from a belt or the like, and lo'st. ""Another object of this invention is the provision of manually releasable means for locking the knife in its sheath and preventing accidental displacement of the knife by contact of bushes or other objects therewith.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of a locking element and mounting arrangement therefor in a manner such that said locking element is not only concealed by but constitutes a reinforcement for the scabbard.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a sheathed knife with parts broken away and in section and showing my improved device in looking position.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5. is a detail side view of the locking spring member.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a side view of a modified form with parts broken away and in section.

Fig. 11 is a detail side view of the locking spring member shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is an edge View of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary side view of ascabbard and knife with parts broken away and in section showing another form of locking member.

Inth illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a knife I of the hunting type, compris ng a blade 2. a handle or Claims. (01. 224- 2) "hilt 3, and sheath 4, in the presentinstance, corresponding-in contour to the shape of the blade 2, which is adapted to be concealingly re.- ceived therein, and which is embodied in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs; 1-6.1. 5.

- The scabbard or sheath 4 comprises what may be termed, for purposes of description, a back portion or wall 5 and a front portion or wall.6 constructed of leather or other suitable material. Positioned on said back portion spaced fromv the edge thereof is a spacer I constructed of leather, rubber, or other suitable'material and formedat one end with a tapered portion 8 for a purpose hereinafter more fully appearing. The spacer element forms the blade receiving space or chamber 9 and maybe varied in size .or thickness in accordance with the particular blade; ;to-' be sheathed as Will be well understood. A spring wire lockingiand catch element 10 substantially conforming to the configuration-of spacerfl is adapted to engage the edge surface of saidspacer, one end of said locking member being longer than the other and adapted to extend beyond the open end-of the'scabbard and is formed at its-end; with an outwardly and downwardly extending portion forming the catch or locking element II. ,The front portion 6 is superimposed on spacer] and saidtop 6 and bottom 5 are united, in the present instance, by the stitching l2. The circumscribing edges of the said front and back sections; are

'united by stitching l3, and this closes the channel or chamber 14 housing and securing thelocking member 'l'll therein. While the parts have been shown as united by stitching l2 and I3; if desired, these parts, may be united'by lacing with thread or thong along saidlines of stitchingas will bewellunderstood. i 1 ".iThe quillon ,or guard l5 of the handle or hilt '3' is;1in the present instance, formed withl a "rectangular opening: l6 of a size to receive the ;-:catch l I so that as the knife is p'rojectedin the scabbard or sheath the member .I0 is deflected .towardthe tapered portion'8. by manual pres- ;sure thereon causing the catch ll ,to pass through and as it clears opening IE it will spring .into locking position with respect to the seat'fll thereby locking the knife in the sheath until .said catch is manually depressed to permit'gwithidrawal of the knife as desired. In order, olpa'rry the sheathed knife or supportingly secure the ,scabbardto abelt or the like abelt receiving lo pjl8'l'isj formed with a piece of leather jorfthfe like upon itself and securing its ends to said scabbard adjacent its open end by stitching,

riveting, or in any desired manner.

Anothe f rm 9 he n eiien is perms '3 Figs. 7 to 12, inclusive, comprising a knife l9, including a blade 20, handle or hilt 2|, and quillon or guard 22, formed with a slot or opening 23 for a purpose directly more fully explained. A sheath 24, substantially conforming to the configuration of the blade which it is adapted to encase, comprises a back portion 25, and a front portion 26. A spring rod catch member 21, substantially similar to catch member ID heretofore described, is adapted to be mounted in a pair of spacer members 28 and 29 formed by folding a piece of leather or other suitable material around the short portion 28' and curved portion 29 of said member 21 and securing the overlapping portions to the undersurface of back portion 25 by stitching 3|. It will thus be noted that members 28 and 29 not only form a housing for and means of securely mounting the spring member 2'! in operative position, but constitute spacers for the back and front portions 25 and 26 of the scabbard when said portions are united at their edges by stitching 32. It will also be noted that spring member 21 at its lower end is bent inwardly forming catch 33 and then downwardly and outwardly forming the cam face portion 34. Also said member 21 is bent outwardly as at 35 so that as the knife I9 is sheathed or projected into the scabbard 24 the edge 36 will engage cam face 34 deflecting member 21 and as the guard 22 is seated with respect to said scabbard'catch 33 automatically engages thereunder securely locking knife I9 in the sheath or scabbard 24, as heretofore ex- :plained in connection with Fig. l.

A belt loop member 36 similar to member 18 is secured to scabbard 24 by rivets :31 or in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 13 is illustrated another form of locking means wherein a locking member 38 is formed from spring wire or rod material, similar to locking members In and 21, except that it is bent to form spaced loops 39 adapted to receive rivets 40 to secure itto the sheaf portion 4| and to the upper or opposite sheaf portion, shown as removed. Said member 38 at its lower end r The operation of the different forms would seem to be sufficiently clear from the above description as to warrant further explanation unnecessary. 'It is obvious that the form of the locking catch asshown in Figs. 1 and 13 can be constructed similar to the form shownin Fig; "7

without departing from the principle or scope of the invention.

From the above it is apparent that my invention without in any way departing from the principle or scope thereof is utilizable in different forms, wherein a manually releasable locking element is carried by the scabbard adapted for locking engagement with the quillon or guard to secure the knife within the scabbard against displacement and loss, under certain conditions adapted for utilization as an attachment without material modification to existing structures, yet simple in construction, manufacturable at a negligible cost, and efficient for the purposes intended.

Although in practice it has been found that the form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment is the most efficient and practical, yet realizing that conditions concurrent with the adoption of the invention will necessarily vary, it is desired to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangements of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired protected by Letters Pateint is as set forth in the following claims:

1. The combination with a knife including a guard, of a scabbard adapted to receive and completely enclose the blade of the knife, a wire reinforcing and stiffening means within the scabbard, said means including a portion projecting beyond the scabbard and cooperating with the guard to retain said knife within the scabbard.

2. The combination with a knife including a. guard, of a scabbard adapted to receive and completely enclose the blade of the knife, resilient rod reinforcing and stiffening means within the scabbard, said rod including a catch portion projecting beyond the scabbard and cooperating with the guard to lockingly retain the knife within the scabbard.

3. The combination with a knife including a guard formed with an opening, of a scabbard adapted to receive and completely enclose the blade of the knife, resilient manually releasable reinforcing and stiffening means within the scabbard, said means including a portion projecting beyond said scabbard and adapted to lockingly engage the under surface of the guard through said opening.

4. The combination with a knife including a guard, of a scabbard adapted to receive theblade of the knife, a reinforcing and stiffening rod substantiall coextensivewith the interior contour of the scabbard-means in'connection with said scabbard for securing said rod predeterminedly positioned with respect to said scabbard, said rod including means projecting exteriorly of the scabbard for locking engagement with said guard to retain said knife within the scab bard.

5. A knife assembly comprising in combination, a knife including a blade, a handle, and a guard member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade completely enclosing the 'blade and having a contour corresponding to the blade, and defining a bladereceiving opening adapted to completely enclose the blade, the sheath comprising afront wall and a rear wall, means peripherally securing the walls together, spacer means intermediate the said walls defining the said blade-receiving opening, the said spacer means defining a channel extending continuously through the sheath following the contour of the blade-receiving opening, and an approximately U-shaped reinforcing and stiffening member extending through the said channel, the reinforcing member having a pair of resilient means one of which is longer than the other, the said guard member on the knife having an opening therethrough, the longer arm of the stiffening member terminating in locking means received in the said opening and seating on the guard member adjacent to the opening.

6. A knife assembly comprising, in combination, a knife, including a blade, a handle, and a guard member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade completely enclosing the blade and conforming in contour to the shape of the blade and composed of a front wall and a rear wall, means adjacent to the peripheries of the walls for securing the walls together, spacer means intermediate the said walls defining a blade-receiving opening conforming in contour to the shape of the blade, the said spacer means defining a channel with the front and rear walls of the sheath, and an approximately U-shaped reinforcing and stiffening member extending through the channel and having a pair of resilient arms, one of which arms is longer than the other, the said guard member on the knife having an opening therethrough, the longer arm of the stiffening member terminating in locking means received in the said opening and seating on the guard member adjacent to the opening, one of the said arms being substantially straight, the arm opposite thereto being outwardly curved relative to the straight arm.

7. A knife assembly comprising, in combination, a knife including a blade, a handle, and a guard member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade for completely enclosing the blade and conforming in contour to the shape of the blade, and composed of a front wall and a rear Wall, spacer means intermediate the said walls defining a blade-receiving opening conforming in contour to the shape of the blade, the said spacer means defining a channel with the front and rear walls of the sheath, means securing the spacer means against displacement in the sheath, means peripherally uniting the said front and rear walls, a reinforcing and stiffening member in the channel and terminal locking means on the said member, the guard member on the knife having an opening therethrough for receiving the locking means responsively to the insertion of the knife in the sheath, the locking means seating on the guard adjacent to the opening when in locking position and being manually yieldable for disengagement with the guard for enabling withdrawal of the knife from the sheath.

8. A knife assembly comprising, in combination, a knife including a blade, a handle, and a guard member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade for completely enclosing the blade and conforming in contour to the shape of the blade, and composed of a front wall and a rear wall, spacer means intermediate the said walls defining a blade-receiving opening conforming in contour to the shape of the blade,

means securing the spacer means against displacement in the sheath, a reinforcing and stiffening member in the sheath, terminal locking means on the said member, the guard member on the knife having an opening therethrough for receiving the locking means responsively to insertion of the knife into the sheath, the locking means seating on the guard adjacent to the opening when in looking position, the said reinforcing member being manually yieldable for disengaging the locking means from the guard for enabling withdrawal of the knife from the sheath, and means connecting the front and rear walls of the sheath and retaining the reinforcing member in place in the sheath.

9. A knife assembly comprising in combination,

a knife including a blade, a handle, and a guard member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade for completely enclosing the blade and conforming in contour to the shape of the blade and composed of a front wall and a rear wall, spacer means intermediate the said walls defining a blade-receiving opening conforming in contour to the shape of the blade, the said spacer means defining a channel with the front and rear walls of the sheath, means securing the spacer means against displacement in the sheath, means peripherally uniting the said front and rear walls, a reinforcing and stiffening member in the channel, and terminal locking means on the said member, the guard member on the knife having an opening therethrough for receiving the locking means responsively to insertion of the knife in the sheath, the locking means having a cam surface adapted to engage the periphery of the guard opening for depressing the locking means responsively to insertion of the knife in the sheath,

thereby causing the locking means to enter the opening and seat on the said guard member upon completion of insertion of the knife into the sheath, thereby locking the knife in the sheath.

10. A knife assembly comprising, in combination, a knife including a blade, a handle, and a guard member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade conforming in contour to the shape of the blade and comprising a front wall and a rear wall, spacer means intermediate the said walls defining a blade-receiving opening conforming in contour to the shape of the blade, the said spacer means defining a channel with the front and rear walls of the sheath, an approximately U-shaped reinforcing and stiffening member extending through the channel and having a pair of yieldable arms one of which arms is longer than the other, the said guard member on the knife having an opening therethrough, the longer arm of the stiffening member being outwardly curved with respect to the other arm and terminating in locking means having a cam surface adapted to engage peripherally with the opening in the guard member for causing the said longer arm to yield responsively to insertion of the knife in the sheath and to snap into seating engagement with the said guard member upon completion of insertion of the knife in the sheath, and means peripherally securing the front and rear walls of the sheath together and also retaining the said reinforcing member in the channel.

HAROLD O. DAVIDSON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Germany Oct. 21, 1908 

